The Best Beaches near Newcastle: Must-Read Guide

If you’re staying in Newcastle for your next city break, you and your guests can still enjoy all the benefits of a fantastic seaside getaway!

With a location right on the beautiful coast of North East England, you’ll be no more than a short drive or metro ride away from some of the region’s best stretches of golden sands while staying here.

So, if you’re looking for something unique and exciting to do here on a free day out, you’ve come to the right place with this list of the best beaches near Newcastle.

Keep scrolling to discover all the best beaches near Newcastle…

6 Fantastic Beaches near Newcastle

1. Whitley Bay Beach, Whitley Bay

Easily reachable by car or metro, Whitley Bay Beach sits just north of the city centre and is one of the more popular beaches near Newcastle because of its close proximity.

Proud holder of a Blue Flag Award for its cleanliness, this stretch of golden sands is often packed full of visitors and locals during the warmer months of the year, so we’d highly recommend getting down here early to avoid missing out on a place to sit!

After spending the afternoon on the beach, we highly recommend taking a walk up to the Spanish City complex. Here, you’ll find a handful of popular restaurants housed inside a wonderfully restored Victorian building, including Trencher’s award-winning fish and chip restaurant and 1910 Restaurant, which boasts spectacular sea views.

Type of Beach: Sandy
Parking: Spanish City Car Park, NE26 1BN
Parking Charge: Pay & Display
Dog-Friendly: Restrictions in place from 1st May – 30th September
Postcode: NE26 1BN
Distance from Newcastle: 10.6 miles

2. Long Sands Beach, Tynemouth

Popular with surfers and wild swimmers in the North, Long Sands Beach is also well-connected to the rest of the city, being situated just a short walk away from the Tynemouth metro station.

With plenty of places to park along the Grand Parade that runs alongside the beach, here you’ll also find a handful of great places to stop off for a drink and a bite to eat, such as Crusoe’s, Durano Lounge and The View.

If you plan on spending a full day here, we’d highly recommend walking up to the impressive ruins of the Tynemouth Priory and Castle on the neighbouring headland if you have the time after spending the day on the golden shores of this idyllic beach near Newcastle.

Type of Beach: Sandy
Parking: Beaconsfield Car Park (Grand Promenade), NE30 4JF
Parking Charge: Pay & Display
Dog-Friendly: Restrictions in place from 1st May – 30th September
Postcode: NE30 4JF
Distance from Newcastle: 9 miles

3. Sandhaven Beach, South Shields

Situated on the southern side of the River Tyne, Sandhaven Beach is in the neighbouring town of South Shields. Like many of these beaches near Newcastle, it is served by the city’s metro network, making it easily reachable from the city centre and surrounding areas.

Because of this, it should come as no surprise to hear that you’ll likely find lots of locals enjoying the golden sands here during the spring and summer months.

Not only will you find a wonderful beach here, but on the seafront, you’ll also find the fantastic Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, which’s great fun for visitors of all ages thanks to rides including the dodgems, log flume, and the Matterhorn.

There is also a plethora of popular restaurants serving some of the best seafood in the area, including The Rattler and Colmans Seafood Temple, which is best known for serving delicious fish and chips across four generations.

Type of Beach: Sandy
Parking: South Promenade South Car Park, NE33 3NB
Parking Charge: Pay & Display
Dog-Friendly: Restrictions in place from 1st May – 30th September
Postcode: NE33 3NB
Distance from Newcastle: 12 miles

4. Blyth Beach, Blyth

Found just a 30-minute drive north of the city, Blyth Beach stretches over four kilometres across Northumberland‘s coast, one of the best UK holiday destinations, and is one of the region’s best-kept hidden gems when it comes to finding beaches near Newcastle.

Perfect for a day out with the family, this coastal town has undergone massive regeneration in recent years and is now home to a fantastic outdoor adventure park for kids, as well as a handful of classic beach huts available for hire if you plan on spending a full day here.

Afterwards, why not head back up onto the promenade, where you’ll find lots of great places to eat and drink, such as Coastline or The Breeze Lounge? With all this on offer, as well as spectacular views across the rugged North Sea, we aren’t surprised that this beach near Newcastle is one of the best beaches in Northumberland.

Type of Beach: Sandy
Parking: Mermaid Car Park, NE24 3PL
Parking Charge: Free
Dog-Friendly: Restrictions in place from 1st May – 30th September
Postcode: NE24 3PL
Distance from Newcastle: 13 miles

5. Seaburn Beach, North Sunderland

One of the many beaches near Newcastle that proudly boasts a Blue Flag Award, Seaburn Beach can be found just outside the city of Sunderland on the southern side of the River Tyne.

Situated just a 30-minute drive from Newcastle, it’s also served by the Seaburn metro station, which lies a short walk away, perfect for those of you travelling here on foot. Popular with sea swimmers and water sports enthusiasts, it makes for an excellent place to spend a full day.

Once you’ve finished up for the day, we highly recommend heading over to STACK, an impressive open-air food market built out of shipping containers known for its lively atmosphere. Here, you can enjoy quiz nights and live music, family-friendly events like Bluey and Bingo and shows from magician Marvin.

You can also look forward to fantastic street food vendors like Bao Down, Downey’s Fish and Chips and Davey’s Mexicano. With all this available, you could spend all day at this beach near Newcastle!

Type of Beach: Sandy
Parking: Spaces available along the promenade (Whitburn Rd), CR6 8AB
Parking Charge: Pay & Display
Dog-Friendly: Restrictions in place from 1st May – 30th September
Postcode: SR6 8AB
Distance from Newcastle: 13 miles

6. Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Beach, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

Last but not least on our guide to the best beaches near Newcastle is Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Beach! Resting in one of Northumberland’s classic seaside towns, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea boomed in popularity as a holiday destination back in the early 1800s.

Since the closing of the local colliery in recent years, it has become once again a popular hotspot for tourists, day-trippers, and holidaymakers who flock to enjoy its beautiful and well-kept beach. It is most famous for the Couples statue by Sean Henry that sits on the breakwater, and the Newbiggin Maritime Centre, a local history museum that’s dedicated to showcasing the town’s long association with fishing and mining.

Not only that, but with a variety of places to stop off for some delicious food and drinks afterwards like The Coble and The Needle’s Eye Café, it makes for a fantastic place to spend the day at the seaside.

Type of Beach: Sandy
Parking: Gibson Street Car Park
Parking Charge: Pay & Display
Dog-Friendly: Restrictions in place from 1st May – 30th September
Postcode: NE64 6RF
Distance from Newcastle: 17 miles

Thinking about staying here for your next break? Then, be sure to have a look at this vast collection of cottages in the North East of England. If you’re looking for some other idyllic beaches then check out our guide to the best beaches in England.

Image Credits: Steve Daniels (1) (2) – (CC BY-SA 2.0)